This invention relates to a lubricous flexible synthetic hose and a method for producing the same, and more particularly to a flexible hose of lubricous properties which is made of soft synthetic resin and a method for producing such a hose.
A hose made of a synthetic resin material has been widespread because it exhibits satisfactory durability and workability and is decreased in cost as compared with a hose made of a rubber material.
In order to improve efficiency of operation which a user carries out using a hose, the user desires to use a flexible hose. In order to meet the requirement, a hose generally tends to he made of a soft synthetic resin material decreased in hardness.
Unfortunately, an increase in softness and flexibility of a hose leads to an increase in frictional resistance of the hose and deterioration in slidability of the hose. Deterioration in slidability of a hose causes a failure in lubricous action of the hose, so that the hose is readily caught by an obstacle, to thereby be deteriorated in operability. Also, it leads to an increase in space required for accommodation of the hose wound on a reel.
In order to solve such problems, the prior art has conventionally employed an approach of coating a lubricant material such as silicone oil or the like on a surface of the hose, to thereby reduce frictional resistance of the hose.
However, the approach has a disadvantage of rendering handling of the hose troublesome and failing to permit a decrease in frictional resistance of the hose to be maintained for an increased period of time.
Another approach to the problems is also proposed which is to make a hose of a soft synthetic resin material having such a lubricous material as described above incorporated therein. However, formation of such a soft synthetic resin material into the hose by conventional techniques has a disadvantage of causing the hose to exhibit release characteristics sufficient to deteriorate adhesive strength between an inner layer of the hose and an outer layer thereof.